Machines for binding bundles with metal ligatures



J. MISSEOUX Oct. 18, 1966 MACHINES FOR BINDING BUNDLES WITH METAL LIGATURES OriginaLFiled May 23, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY Oct. 18, 1966 J. MISSIOUX 3,279,355

MACHINES FOR BINDING BUNDLES WI TH METAL LIGATURES Original Filed May 23, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Oct. 18, 1966 J. MISSIOUX 3,279,355

MACHINES FOR BINDING BUNDLES WITH METAL LIGATURES Original Filed May 23, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Z INVENTOR k1??? is am ATTORNEY Oct. 18, 1966 J. MISSIOUX 3,279,355

MACHINES FOR BINDING BUNDLES WITH METAL LIGATURES Original Filed May 23, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR 54 a, 55 BY ATTORNEY United States Patent M 3,279,355 MACHINES FOR BINDING BUNDLES WITH METAL LIGATURES Jean Missioux, Sannois, France, assignor, by mesne assignments, to Societe Botalam Societe a Responsabilite Limitee, Paris, France Original application May 23, 1962, Ser. No. 197,102, now Patent No. 3,234,870, dated Feb. 15, 1966. Divided and this application Nov. 8, 1965, Ser. No. 506,808 Claims priority, application France, June 2, 1961, 863,789, Patent 1,306,631 7 Claims. (Cl. 100-26) This invention relates to a machine for binding bundles by means of metal ligatures, particularly flexible or semiflexible metallic bonds of a round or polygonal cross section.

This is a divisional application of Serial No. 197,102, filed May 23, 1962.

Although this machine is particularly intended for strapping rol-led or elongated metal objects of varying lengths, that are assembled in the form of bundles, it is, nevertheless, applicable to all other fields, whenever a strong strapping for the purpose of assembly or as an additional safety factor is considered necessary.

In the particular application noted above, the machine, which is the subject of the invention, obtains mechanically wrapped packing bonds at a rate capable of following modern accelerated rates of rolling or laminating.

The machine essentially comprises two shells, in the shape of a crescent, rotatably mounted at their base on fixed pivots, whereby they can be spread apart to permit entrance of the objects to be bound or strapped and subsequently closed around them, each shell consisting of a body against one or both faces of which are held, by elastic means, plates which, in cooperation with complementary means formed in the body of the shell, form, when the shells are closed, semicircular helical connecting passageways, with a similar passageway formed in the other shell, such that a wire fed into the continuous passageway thus formed by the two shells, can be wrapped about the objects to be bound as many times as the passageway has turns; means moved mechanically or hydraulically for separating the bodies and the one or more face plates of the shells, in order to free the looped wire between them; driving means for feeding the wire into the passageway and then, when the wire has been freed by the shells, pulling on it so as to tighten it about the objects; a gripper holding the free end of the wire during the pulling; a second gripper for grasping and holding tight the crossed ends of the wire under the objects; a Wire cutter to cut the wire; and finally, rotating drive means to rotate the second gripper and to twist the two ends of the wire beneath the objects.

The means forming the semi-circular helical passageway between the body of the shells and the face plates may consist of grooves provided in one or both faces of the body of each shell and on the corresponding contacting surface of each face plate, the grooves being semi-circular in cross section and so arranged in the two said members that they are mutually complementary so as to form a passageway having a round cross section capable of guiding and bending the wire so that it forms one or two loops in the assembled shells.

The means forming the semi-circular helical passageways between the bodies and the face plates of the shells can also consist of semi-circular helical grooves provided on the inner surfaces of the body of each of the shells and of rollers mounted free on axles fixed to the interior surface of each face plate.

The later-ally movable face plates may be semi-circular or form segments of a part of a circle.

3,279,355 Patented Oct. 18, 1966 The face plates are held to the bodies of the shells by strong springs.

The wire feeding means consists of one or more pairs of rollers, between which the wire is securely gripped. At least one of the rollers of each pair is pushed towards the other by springs acting on sliding bearing members carrying the axle of the said at least one roller.

The feeding rollers are fixed to pinions rotatively driven by a reversible motor.

The exterior surface of each face plate can be provided with a covering member provided with a groove for the purpose of ensuring the entrance of the wire into the first shell and its rectilinear emergence from the second shell.

The means causing the spreading of the face plates from the shell bodies are preferably pneumatic or hydraulic jacks.

The grippers are preferably driven by pneumatic or hydraulic jacks.

The jacks are preferably actuated by valves controlled in accordance with a predetermined program, whereby the machine is entirely automatic in operation.

The machine which forms the object of the invention will now be described in detail, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the essential parts of the machine;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view, showing the shells closed and containing a looped wire, the end of which is held by a gripper;

FIGURE 3 is a diagrammatic view, showing the two shells and their side plates, seen completely open;

FIGURE 4 illustrates the principle of operating of the machine;

FIGURES 5-9 illustrate various phases of the operatron.

The machine includes two shells 1 and 2, each consisting of two metallic semi-rings 34 and 5-6, respectively,

'one ring of each pair being the body of the shell and the other a movable face plate held against the body by means to be described.

The mutually contacting faces of each semior halfring have grooves 7, 7' (FIG. 3), obtained by milling or casting, for example, which have a semi-circular or other cross section corresponding to the half cross section of the metallic ligature used. The radial section of the half-rings varies in such a manner that the grooves 7, 7' form, when the half-rings are assembled a continuous helical passageway about an axis XX interior of the two assembled shells. If, for example, we should enter the passageway at 8 in shell 1, the passage then would enter shell 2 at 8 and leave it at 9, enter shell 1 at 9 and leave it at 10, and once again enter shell 2 at 10 from which we would altogether leave the passageway.

In order to ensure the proper entrance and exit of the ligature, shells 1 and 2 are provided with covering members 11 and 12 (FIGS. 2 and 3), provided with grooves 13 and 13' respectively, complementing grooves 7 and 7' of the half-rings at the two ends of the passageway.

It immediately will be seen that this passageway is similar to the thread of a screw and that, by introducing a wire into one of the openings 8 or 10' of the shells and feeding it through the passageway, it is possible to make one complete wrap about a package introduced into the circular open space formed between the two assembled shells 1 and 2.

It is equally apparent that, with the unit described by increasing the number of face plates the wire can be caused to make as many additional wraps as there are additional face plates.

But in order that the binding wire, which has been fed through the passageway, and which has therefrom a single or multiple loop, can be closed down upon the package that is to be wrapped or bound, the wire must leave the passageway. To this end, the body part of shells 1 and 2 have their peripheries provided with hinges (FIGURES 1 and 2) which permit the face plates to be spread apart from their respective bodies. In the same way, covering members 11 and 12 are provided with hinges 18 and 19, so as to allow them to be spread apart from the half-rings 3 and 6 which carry them and cooperate with them.

The spreading apart of the half-rings and of the covering members is caused by pneumatic jacks 20, 21, 22 and 23; and their closing together is obtained by transverse springs 24, which are provided at appropriate points so as to hold together the half-rings and covering members.

The shells 1 and 2 are mounted on the frame 25 of the machine by means of axles 26 and 27, about which they pivot, and which are carried by bearings 28 and 29 fixed to the frame.

The pivoting of shells 1 and 2 is obtained by the action of pneumatic jacks 30 and 31 joined to the shells near hinges 17 and 18. The jacks are themselves, at their other end, rotatably mounted on the frame through axles 32 and 33.

The axle of shell 1 has a reduction gear box 34 (FIG. 1), enclosing gears 35, 36, 37, and 38. The input gear 35 is free on axle 26 and is driven by a motor 39 (electrical or otherwise) through a hollow ringed shaft 40 that turns freely about axle 26 and in bearing 29. Consequently, shaft 40 rotates freely with respect to shell 1 and frame 25. Side plate 34a of box 34 is mounted so as to pivot freely about axle 26, and side plate 34b includes a barrel 41 running through axle 26. The interior of the barrel is machined to a diameter slightly greater than that of the ligature 14. On the other side of axle 26, the mouth of the barrel is aligned with aperture 8 of shell 1, when'the shells are assembled.

Shaft 42, mounted in plates 34a and 34b of box 34, serves as an axle for pinions 36 and 37. Axle 43 of gear wheel 38 extends between two bearing members 44 and 45 sliding in side plates 34a and 34b and under a constant upward push of spring washer 46, or of springs.

Gear wheels 36, 37 and 38 and two'V or concave grooved rollers 47, 48, between which passes the binding wire 14, are keyed on axles 42 or 43, as the case may he. The constant upward push of the spring washers pushes roller 47 against roller 48, whereby the wire is firmly gripped, so that it can be fed or pulled. In order to obtain this firm gripping and to maintain the correct drive of gear wheels 37 and 38 it is important that the sum of the semi-diameters of rollers 47 and 48 and of the thickness of binding wire 14 be greater than the distance between the centers of gear wheels 37 and 38, in order to provide a play at the bottom of the teeth .slightly greater than that customarily found between two gear wheels.

Side plate 34:: of the reduction gear box is extended by an arm 49 that abuts against stop 50 fixed to frame 25. The stop limits the movement of plate 34a, and

its position corresponds to the alignment of barrel 41 with the axis of aperture 8 of shell 1.

. Plate 341) is similarly extended by an arm 51, forming a lever coupled by axle 52 to cover 53 of a case 54 rotatably mounted on a pivot 55 fixed to frame 25. Case 54 contains an adjusted spring 56 pushing on cover 53,

thereby keeping arm 49 in contact with stop 50, and,

consequently, barrel 41 aligned with aperture 8 of shell 1.

A fork lever 57 is pivotally mounted on axle 26, and coupled at one end, by a fork and axle 58, to the shaft of a pneumatic jack 59, which itself is pivotally mounted at 60 to frame 25. The other end 57a (FIG. 5) of the lever constitutes the cutting element of a guillotine shears movingbetween the mount ofbarrel 41 and flush with the aperture 8 of shell 1. The edge of the hole in the barrel 41 acts as a support for the binding wire 14 when it sustains the cutting stress caused by the pivoting of lever 57.

A gripper 63 (FIG. 2) having jaws 64 and 65 on either side of the axis of outlet aperture 18 of the helical passageway, is fixed to hollow shaft 27 of shell 2. This shaft freely rotates between sockets 61 and 62 (FIG. 1) fixed to the frame. The rear part of the jaws acts as a dead stop for the strap when it emerges from the aperture. The clamping of the jaws is obtained by the action of a pneumatic jack 66 located at the end of the gripper and transmitting its force to the jaws by movable levers, in a known manner.

Below the two shells 1 and 2, and in line with their vertical axis, is located means 67 for twisting together the bond (FIGS. 1 and 2). Fhe twister device comprising a vertical shaft sliding in the body 67 (sh-own in FIGURES l, 2, 5 and 7), the superior part of which is adapted to form a head 70 provided with a diametrical slot adapted to receive the two parts of the wire which are to be twisted when head 70 is driven in the position shown in FIGURE 5 by means of a pneumatic jack 68. The same jack drives head 78 in the position shown in FIGURE 7 when the wire is twisted.

The shaft of head 70 is provided with gear teeth having a length corresponding to the travel of said shaft in body 67 and a toothed rack formed on the rod of the horizontally set pneumatic jack 69 engages with said teeth.

Said jack 69 may then initiate rotation of head 70 when the latter is raised in its working position shown in FIGURE 5.

A collar 71, driven by a lever with a slotted jaw 72 pivotally mounted on a bearing member 73 fixed to the frame, slides along twisting means 67. The end of lever 72 is connected to a pneumatic jack 74 through a fork 75. The pneumatic jack is rotatably mounted by means of a pivot 76 carried by an angle bracket 77 fixed to frame 25.

Two movable arms 78 and 79 (FIG. 6) are mounted on the exterior of this frame. Two other movable arms 78 and 79 can be symmetrically mounted on the other exterior surface of the frame. Arms 78 and 79 are controlled by pneumatic jacks 80 and 81. The purpose of the arms is to keep that which is to be bound in a defined position between shells 1 and 2. This position is determined, on the one hand, by the working plane and, on the other hand, by the dimensions of the bundle to be obtained. The spread between the two arms is controlled by the sliding of an eccentric axle, not shown.

Another arm 82, also controlled by a pneumatic jack 84, serves to hold back the objects of succeeding bundles.

'Its lowering causes additional objects 15', that are to be bound, to fall on the work plane. Thus, the arm acts as a kind of apportioning agent. A second arm 83 can be added to cooperate with arm 82.

I An arm 86, controlled by a pneumatic jack 87, is also mounted on frame 25. In the rest position, the inourved prehensile part of the arm is located below the working plane and, consequently, beneath the elements or objects to be bound. At a given time, the purpose of arm 86 is to raise the bundle above the machine and towards the delivery station provided for the bundles. A second arm 86, not shown, can be added to cooperate with the first.

The different steps of the binding operation are c0ntrolled by pulses from a central distributor 88, which pulses occur in a precise order that is established, for example, by cams, perforated ribbon, or photoelectric cells, and in which each step is begun at the end of the preceding one.

Nevertheless, the arrangement permits at the discretion of the operator the stopping or restarting of the machine while binding.

By mounting the machine on a trolley 90, it can be moved along the length of a bundle, in order to strap it several times.

The operation of the machine will now be described.

Shells 1 and 2 being spread apart, arms 82 and 83 (FIG. 6) are lowered, allowing the objects to be bound to fall between the shells. By actuating jacks 30 and 31 (FIG. 5), the shells 1 and 2 are caused to close, taking the position shown in FIG. 7. Next, arms 78 and 79 are actuated so as to reassemble the fallen objects or elements and to place them on the work plane in a suitable position.

The binding wire 14, stored remotely on a spooling machine, is gripped between two rollers 47 and 48 (FIG. 1). When the latter are rotated, the wire is fed through barrel 41 and then, constantly fed by the rollers, it-enters the helical passageway of the shells through aperture 8 and makes a loop inside them. It emerges from shell 2 by means of the rectilinear groove in covering member 12, where it is straightened out, and then is stopped by gripper 63. laws 64 and 65, actuated by jack 66 (FIG. 2), tightly seize the wire.

Next, shells 1 and 2 and the covering members open so as to expose the helical passageway and to free the wire 14, which is looped about the elements or objects 15 to be bound, as shown in FIG. 4.

The direction of rotation of rollers 47 and 48 is then reversed, and the wire 14 is pulled. The loop closes down about the objects 15 (FIG. 8) until it takes their form FIG. 9. The twisting means 67 rises and its head 70 securely grips the two crossed ends of the wire below the objects 15.

Guillotine shears 57a, actuated by jack 59, pivots about axle 26 and snaps the wire 14 flush with shell 1.

Meanwhile, the binding wire has been held fixed by the head 70 of the twisting means. Gripper 63 then opens, freeing its end of the wire. Head 70, actuated by jack 69, rotates, twisting the two ends of the wire, thereby causing a vigorous tightening of the wire on the objects 15 of the bundle.

After twisting, lever 72, below the bundle, presses down the two twisted ends of the wire, and the two arms 86 raise the bundle through the spread apart shells 1 and 2 and to a delivery plane exterior of the machine.

The embodiment of the machine just described is eminently suitable when the wire used as a ligature is flexible; but when heavier articles or elements must be bound, requiring a stronger ligature, wire of a larger cross section must be used, making, should the need arise, several loops about the bundle.

It is apparent that the above described machine admits of various modifications in form and detail, permitting its application to various ends, and that such modifications would be within the scope of the invention, which scope is determined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A machine for binding articles with rli-gatures comprising a first shell, a second shell engageable with said first shell to completely encircle the article being bound, each of said shells comprising a first member and a second member, hinges connecting said members in their respective shells, said members forming in their respective shells at least one helical passageway interior of said shells, at least one of said members in each shell being adapted to rotate about its respective hinge thereby to open said helical passageway, said pathways forming together a continuous helical passageway of at least one continuous loop :for guiding the ligature in a helical path around the article being bound, drive means for feeding the ligature through said helical passageway, mechanical means for rotating said respective members about the said hinges so as to free the ligature fed threthrough, a feed reversal means for cinching the ligature against the article being bound, a first means for gripping and holding fast the free end of the ligature, a second means for gripping and holding fast the ligature in the vicinity where it crosses to form a complete loop, and head means for twisting the crossed portion of the ligature whereby the article is securely bound by the ligature.

2. A machine according to claim 1 including collar means for flattening the twisted ligature ends substantially flush against the bound article.

3. A machine as described in claim 1 including elastic means holding said hinged members together in their respective shells.

The machine of claim 1 in which each of said first members of each shell is provided with a third member hingedly connected thereto, each of said third members being provided with a groove forming a part of said helical passageway thereby to facilitate the insertion thereinto and emergence therefrom of said ligature.

5. The machine of claim 4 in which said third members are so constructed and arranged that said ligature enters said passageway through an aperture provided in one of said third members and leaves through an aperture provided in the other of said third members.

6. The machine of claim 1 comprising reversible drive means including at least one pair of elastically opposed rollers which grip and drive said ligature, a reduction gear train driving said rollers, a reversible motor means driving said train, guide means aligned with said at least one pair of rollers and aligned with the opening of said helical passageway in one of said shells, whereby a ligature fed by said rollers is led by said guide means to enter said opening, and means for adjusting the relative alignment of said rollers, guide means, and opening.

7. The machine of claim 1, incduding movable apportioning means for allowing articles which are to be bound to fall into the space between said shells when parted and for holding back succeeding articles when said shells are close, means for positioning the fallen articles for binding and for removing the articles when bound.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 5,893 5/1874 Myers 25 X 2,136,225 11/1938 Williams 10026 2,597,675 5/1952 Scokett 10026 2,674,181 4/ 1954 Jones 10026 X 2,707,430 5/ 1955 Leslie et a1. 100-3 2,742,851 4/1956 Fryer 10026 2,880,666 4/ 1959 Rogers 100-26 2,913,271 11/1959 Sachsenroder et a1. 10026 X 2,959,118 11/1960 Hager 10026 3,012,497 12/1961 Fryer 10026 3,060,840 10/ 1962 Van de Bilt 10026 3,093,063 6/1963 Van der Wal 10026 3,116,681 1/1964 Van de Bilt 10026 FOREIGN PATENTS 470,138 1/1929 Germany.

OTHER REFERENCES Sch 11859 XII/ 81a April 1956 (German printed application) 100-7 (2 shts. drwg. 3 pgs. spec.)

LOUIS O. MAASSEL, Primary Examiner. 

1. A MACHINE FOR BINDING ARTICLES WITH LIGATURES COMPRISING A FIRST SHELL, A SECOND SHELL ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID FIRST SHELL TO COMPLETELY ENCIRCLE THE ARTICLE BEING BOUND, EACH OF SAID SHELLS COMPRISING A FIRST MEMBER AND A SECOND MEMBER, HINGES CONNECTING SAID MEMBERS IN THEIR RESPECTIVE SHELLS, SAID MEMBERS FORMING IN THEIR RESPECTIVE SHELLS AT LEAST ONE HELICAL PASSAGEWAY INTERIOR OF SAID SHELLS, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID MEMBERS IN EACH SHELL BEING ADAPTED TO ROTATE ABOUT ITS RESPECTIVE HINGE THEREBY TO OPEN SAID HELICAL PASSAGEWAYS, SAID PATHWAYS FORMING TOGETHER A CONTINUOUS HELICAL PASSAGEWAY OF AT LEAST ONE CONTINUOUS LOOP FOR GUIDING THE LIGATURE IN A HELICAL PATH AROUND THE ARTICLE BEING BOUND, DRIVE MEANS FOR FEEDING THE LIGATURE THROUGH SAID HELICAL PASSAGEWAY, MECHANICAL MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID RESPECTIVE MEMBERS ABOUT THE SAID HINGES SO AS TO FREE THE LIGATURE FED THERETHROUGH, A FEED REVERSAL MEANS FOR CINCHING THE LIGATURE AGAINST THE ARTICLE BEING BOUND, A FIRST MEANS FOR GRIPPING AND HOLDING FAST THE FREE END OF THE LIGATURE, A SECOND MEANS FOR GRIPPING AND HOLDING FAST THE LIGATURE IN THE VICINITY WHERE IT CROSSES TO FORM A COMPLETE LOOP, AND HEAD MEANS FOR TWISTING THE CROSSED PORTION OF THE LIGATURE WHEREBY THE ARTICLE IS SECURELY BOUND BY THE LIGUATURE. 